Honest opinion about highlights wanted

[ThreeRandomWords]

Please don't be too unkind, but I would appreciate honesty.

Had my highlights "touched up" a couple of weeks ago. Asked for something fairly subtle to try and blend in my greys, but without too much obvious re-growth, as I can't afford that many trips to the hairdresser.

The hairdo pictured below cost me £147, which was bad enough in itself. I thought it was a bit light when I left the salon, but that I would get used to it I a day or two. But looking more closely, I feel I have a really cheap-looking colour job - and what's with the ginger bits!

Just looking for some advice about whether or not the highlights are ok and, if not, what to do next.

I think they look at little stripey, and you’ve paid a lot, but it doesn’t look ‘bad’. You’ve photographed from an angle nobody really will see, can you take another photo face /side on with face blurred?
You need a decent purple shampoo to tone down the warmer tones if you don’t like them. L’Oréal do one (but I’d look for a cruelty free one personally )

I don't think they used a toner hence the ginger high lights. I'd go back as it's easily fixed and you should be very happy for the money you paid!

I am a little bit confused as it seems you have two different coloured highlights. You also have darker bits around your face. I think it all looks OK but I would not describe it as subtle as your original hair is quite dark so unfortunately I think it is going to be tricky to manage your regrowth without having more highlights. Go back - you need to be happy. Also, my saloon does T section colours - I get highlights (for greys too) and then the next time I just have my T section done ie parting and front of my hair - and we only do highlights again when necessary (my natural hair is darker then your's). The T section costs £35 and I go to an Aveda saloon which is not a cheap saloon.

It looks like it could do with a toner on to minimise the orange, and if I had paid that much I would be returning for them to do it! If not, Wella Colour Fresh work well for me or maybe even just a good purple/blue mask or shampoo, Matrix Brass Off mask is good or Fanola No Orange Shampoo (all on amazon) :)

They look a bit stripey.
Shampoo for grey hair is your friend here, it helps to tone down the ginger.

I thought the same about the toner too

You can’t tone down your golden lowlight with shampoo, it’s not light enough and you’ll add more ash to your prelightened highlights, probably giving more contrast. I think the main issue is you have a warm tone next too a cool which looks odd. I’m d go back and would hope one of my own clients would come back to have it rectified. Either, have you’re lighter shade put back through, being careful to not overlap on to previous bleached hair, then toned all over to take it down a shade so you have a clean canvas to work on next time or have a cool low lite put through and get the stylist to try as best as possible to pick up those warm low lites. Either correction is not going to be perfect this time but can quite easily be much improved.

Yep purple shampoo will sort that out

Oooor, if it’s just that root area that looks worst to you, get a cool root shadow, can be done in one appointment slot, will eliminate the warmth and blend the stripey feel.

I asked for balayage at first, as I thought that might be more "subtle", with less obvious regrowth. However, the hairdresser said that wouldn't work on my hair, and she would put darker bits though my hair to try to reduce the regrowth issue.

The photo I have used doesn't really show the ginger problem in all its dubious glory. Maybe the next one will? The ginger seems to end a couple of inches down my hair, but also stops well before my face.

I have a double crown, so it is hard to get my hair to sit properly.

I will try a view from the front once I have worked out how to blank out my face.

Front view.

Yeah, that is a mistake. From where the lowlight suddenly stops, you can see there’s been an error in colour choice or oxidant, which is acceptable if you tell the client before they leave the salon. Get a refund or redo

It actually looks like a bleach bleed, where the bleach expands outside of the foil; enough to lift unintended hair but not enough to saturate for a clean result

I don’t think that’s what’s happened from the pattern of those stripes unless your stylist removed the foil for 15 mins or longer before shampooing. It’s just so odd to not even carry that shade on down the rest of the hair.

For £147 I'd be asking for a redo. It's gingery, tiger stripe-esq. Doesn't blend in with your pre-lightened hair. I'd definitely be unhappy.

From the front it looks nice! I've had to make the awful phone call but they would much rather you were happy and stayed a returning customer than you were unhappy and telling everyone you knew where you had it done. Just tell them truth and say you were in tears. They will fix it.

It’s the orangey bits that aren’t working. I would ring them tomorrow and say you’re not happy and would like it corrected.

The top is a bit stripy but perfectly nice, front on your hair looks lovely. If it isn’t want you want though just give them a call and say look having seen it in the wild and not just after a professional cut and blow dry it’s not what you asked for and could you come in for them to sort it

Thanks for the responses so far. I have to nip into rown tomorrow anyway, so I will brace myself to go back to the hairdressers and see what they say.